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Thread: Need advice please.

  1. #1
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    Default Need advice please.

    I'm looking for any advice, or ideas on what I can do for my squirrel. I'm just so sad and at this point, defeated. I want to start by saying I never wanted a pet squirrel. My son found him in our yard, and showed him to me the next day. He said he watched and waited for mom, and once I found out about him, we watched out for her to no avail.
    He was just so helpless, and tiny. His eyes weren't even open yet. I really didn't have much hope for him, but I couldn't not try to help this baby.
    This was September/October, I scoured the internet for anything to help this baby, I bottle fed him and read so much information. I knew I needed to let him go asap, but I couldn't do it until he could feed himself. I knew it was going to be difficult, but also knew I couldn't keep him.
    Well fast forward to now, he's still here, and I don't know what to do. The cold, snow, and fear kept me from releasing him after he was weaned, and now I'm afraid he is unreleasable because he hasn't been around any other squirrels.
    He has started to show aggression, which I've been expecting. He's a wild animal, and doesn't understand human ways. He has attacked my dog, my husband and myself and he will only tolerate me. I thought I was doing the right thing by taking care of a tiny defenceless animal, and he is totally innocent in all of it. He was just kinda thrust into his little orphaned life, and just letting him suffer to death wasn't an option for me. I need to know if there is anything I can do now to ensure the best quality of life for him .

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2015
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    Default Re: Need advice please.

    Congratulations for successfully rescuing and rearing him! . You were 100% right to hang on to him till after winter. All rehabbers in cold climates do this with their Fall babies until Spring.

    What you’re experiencing is his normal maturing and “wilding up”. As the temps in your area warm up it is the ideal time to provide him an outdoor cage. You want to do a slow release process which means you place him in the outdoor cage, with his familiar bedding or a nest box and continue to feed him in his cage. He should be outside for about 2 weeks so he can learn the sights, sounds and smells of outdoors and other squirrels. After about 2 weeks you open the door and let him come and go as he wants. Some squirrels will return nightly to the cage others never look back. Continue to place food inside the cage till you see he’s no longer returning. Provide a roof over the cage and bedding to help him stay warm if temps are not toasty in your area yet. Please don’t put him out if it’s still really cold….it’ll be quite the adjustment to go from a warm toasty house to the cold. eek

    Here’s the link for the info on the slow release process. https://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/...-How-to-Sticky

    I hope this helps. If you have any other questions, please ask.

  3. 3 TSBers pass along the fuzzy thanks to Mel1959:

    Chirps (03-23-2023), stepnstone (05-24-2023), Twirl (05-24-2023)

  4. #3
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    Default Re: Need advice please.

    Mel1959 Thank you. I was really going through it in my head, and really beating myself up about letting my squirrel go. I had heard so many different things about releasing him, and to be honest, I thought he was unreleasable, because of having him for so long. The guilt and stress was really getting to me. So your words were just enough moral support to nudge me along. Thank you again.
    Thank you to all of you as well, the advice from you all is very reassuring, and the questions are helpful as well.
    I released my squirrel 2 weeks ago, his cage is still out there with the door up. I've been dropping a few nuts in there and freshing his water daily. He comes and grabs it, and goes.
    He hangs around the few trees in my yard, and every so often I catch a glimpse of him, but not ever for long. It's like I never existed to him. I'm glad though, because it sure beats the alternative, where he just couldn't adapt out there. It stung a little, after raising him up from just a newborn, but I think it worked out just how it was supposed to. His wild is strong, and he is back where he needs to be. As for me, I'm gonna miss that squirrelly guy, that was never truly mine.

  5. #4
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    Default Re: Need advice please.

    Quote Originally Posted by Twirl View Post
    "I think it worked out just how it was supposed to. His wild is strong, and he is back where he needs to be."
    Thank you for caring for him and getting him there, you did great!
    Step-N-Stone
    State Licensed
    Wildlife Master Rehabilitator


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